


"Have the Cops Left Yet?"

by RosaClearwater



Series: Facetious Fusions [36]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Always a fun time, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Snarky fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 03:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14865554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosaClearwater/pseuds/RosaClearwater
Summary: The playful tone doesn’t fit in with the dull and migraine-inducing scene -- the annual “let’s pretend to like each other” bonding event that all of the university’s staff has to partake in.Such a tone does not reflect the taxing energy required to function at this event -- taxing not only for the amount of human interaction involved but also for the level of inane topics one must engage in for two hours. And such a tone certainly does not fit the persona of someone who’s resorted to grading papers as a shield against such migraine-inducing inanities.For that, it gets his attention.





	"Have the Cops Left Yet?"

**Author's Note:**

> I’m going to play around a little with this and make a shout-out to another wonderful Marvel creation and a few other fandoms. You’ve been warned ;)

“Just pretend like we’re talking until the cops leave.”

 

The playful tone doesn’t fit in with the dull and migraine-inducing scene -- the annual “let’s pretend to like each other” bonding event that all of the university’s staff has to partake in.

 

Such a tone does not reflect the taxing energy required to function at this event -- taxing not only for the amount of human interaction involved but also for the level of inane topics one must engage in for two hours. And such a tone certainly does not fit the persona of someone who’s resorted to grading papers as a shield against such migraine-inducing inanities.

 

For that, it gets his attention.

 

(Not that he would reveal such a thing.)

 

“Or, better still,”

 

Erik Lehnsherr glances up from his stack of essays, easily feigning disinterest mixed with genuine irritation.

 

“Perhaps I could just take that spot on the couch?”

 

A shrug eventually emerges, a hand half-heartedly swiping the air to give consent even as he is already turning back to his papers.

 

Lehnsherr misses the stranger’s quirk of a smile. He's blind to the following nod that's accepting of the dubious consent. And he obviously ignores the man elegantly taking the chosen spot. Instead, the chemistry professor is content to ignore any and all human interaction in favor for grading these papers.

 

(He had, after all, muttered hello to his most tolerable colleague about fifteen minutes ago. Which means he's free of any social responsibility for about thirty more minutes.)

 

“What was the topic?” The question is asked in a record time of over three minutes -- not that Erik is paying all that much attention.

 

So little attention is he pretending to pay that the man has to repeat himself once more.

 

But, it’s not something that seems to deter this stranger in the slightest.

 

In fact, it’s almost as though the longer Lehnsherr attempts to ignore the man, the more he radiates an aura of “You will pay attention to me. _Please_.” It felt as though it were almost a mind trick, except for the fact that mind tricks are simply a figment of imagination and fantasy.

 

Now, science. Chemistry. That’s based in reality.

 

And, speaking of chemistry, he still has fifty papers to grade.

 

Something that would go a lot faster if that man desisted in hovering a few feet away.

 

(True, it’s a very simple prompt produced to boost up the confidence of timid first years: _What are some of the properties behind Vibranium that makes it one of the most powerful metals on Earth?_ Nevertheless, it is the principle of the matter.)

 

After another unfortunate minute of baited and awkward silence, it became apparent that this would not be his normal couch of isolation.

 

And after another three minutes following that, Erik decided to finally give up.

 

“What do you want?”

 

_._

 

_Several hours later..._

 

_._

 

“Dean Thorn, should we tell them that they can leave?”

 

Two of the most respectable faculty members of ULC stood at the door, observing the scene with mixed feelings.

 

The entire room had vacated.

 

That is, except for one couch.

 

“You know,” Thorn spoke knowingly, a hint of something mischievous wrapped around her lips. “I’m sure they’ll be able to figure it out.” The unspoken “ _Eventually”_ is hidden in the lines of her smile as she and her colleague quietly slip out.

 

_._

 

It takes another thirty minutes for the activity on the couch to come to a stunned halt at the sight of a now empty room.

 

(Fortunately, that doesn’t stop either of them from picking the conversation right back up.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> 06/11/18 Update: Totally forgot to include all the vital information:
> 
> The inspiring quotation: "Just pretend like we're talking until the cops leave." - The Office
> 
>  
> 
> And our next quotation:
> 
> “My dear partner, when what’s left of you gets around to what’s left to be gotten, what’s left to be gotten won’t be worth getting, whatever it is you’ve got left.”
> 
> “When I figure out what that means, I’ll come up with a crushing reply.” -- White Christmas
> 
> ST:DS9  
> Bones


End file.
